No Good-Bye
by teamjacob0729
Summary: After the newborn fight, Edward insists Bella leaves with the wolves instead of staying in the clearing. AU/Eclipse COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**AU In Eclipse after the newborn fight, Alice knows the Volturi is coming. Instead of keeping Bella there, they have the wolves take her back to the reservation when they carry Jacob back. Everything is the same until that point.**

 **This story is rated M.**

 **Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

"Sam, we need you to take Bella with you," Edward pleaded as the wolves struggled with Jacob. He was screaming and writhing in pain from the attack of the newborn.

"Edward, we have a bigger problem right now," Sam retorted, as he fought to hold on to Jacob.

"It's a matter of her life, Sam. Please, she cannot be seen by these vampires. They're going to be here in less than 5 minutes. Please take Bella!" Carlisle spoke softly.

"Embry!" Sam called. "Get Bella."

"What? What's going on? Edward, talk to me," Bella stood staring at him.

"Bella, please go. I love you. Jane is ruthless. If she sees you're still human, she will kill you on the spot. I can't risk that. You have to go. You have to go right now!" Edward kissed Bella firmly and pushed her into Embry's arms. "Take care of her."

"Come on, Bella. We've got to go," Embry grabbed her and picked her up. Her stiff body stared over Embry's shoulder as he hustled away from the field. She watched as the Cullen's stared back at her. The haunted look in Edward's eyes would be carved into her memory for eternity. She would never forget how he looked, what he must have known was coming.

Pushing through the woods, Embry stopped briefly and squatted down. "Hop on my back," he told Bella. Once she was securely holding onto him, he ran through the woods leaving behind her vampire family. As Embry ran, she could have sworn she heard Alice shriek, but she couldn't see anything as she looked back.

"Don't let go," Embry warned her. "I need to go faster." He pushed his human form faster away from the site of the newborn battle.

The pack was all headed toward Jacob's house. Bella watched as Sam, Quil and Paul fought to carry Jake's body in the door as he thrashed and cursed. Charlie and Billy were returning from their fishing trip and Billy's face was horrified.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked as Embry and Bella walked up to the door. Bella was too shocked to explain anything, and Embry wasn't sure what to say to the older man.

"Was he bitten?" Billy asked as he rolled in the house behind his son. "Have you called Sue? Where is Dr. Cullen? Shouldn't he be here helping?"

Sam turned to look at Billy and Bella after they finally laid Jacob on his bed. He took a deep breath before he started answering the Elder's questions.

"He wasn't bitten. We just got here, but I sent Seth to get Sue. They should be here soon. Carlisle wanted to be here but at the moment, he's tied up with something more critical."

"More critical?" Billy asked, the sound of incredulity in his voice. "What could be more critical than Jacob's injuries?"

Sam paused and looked to Bella. She nodded slightly.

"Well, they were receiving unwanted guests. It had to be addressed. They all had to be there."

"Unwanted guests?" Charlie asked, curious.

"Seth is here," Paul announced.

Everyone cleared the room except for Sam and Bella. The room barely held the three of them, and Jake's screaming made it hard for anyone to stay close. Bella kneeled down beside the bed and rubbed her palm against Jake's forehead, pushing his hair back off his face. She fought back her own tears as she watched her best friend writhe in excruciating pain.

Sue rushed into the room and began checking Jacob over. His wounds were healing quickly, so she started cleansing the dirt. He continued to scream in pain and Sue whispered to Sam that without equipment there wasn't much she could do. Obviously, he had a number of broken bones and she could take x-rays to know how to begin to reset things. In her bag, she had pain killers and IV fluids, so she began hooking those up to Jacob.

Bella was able to briefly put aside her worries of the Cullens and the Volturi to help comfort Jacob. She spoke softly to him, apologizing for his pain and assuring him that he would be okay. She flinched as Sue inserted the needle to start the fluids.

Sue muttered about how much medication she'd already given him and it didn't even seem to touch his pain. She took out another vial, filled the syringe and pushed it into Jacob's IV. He calmed slightly, but tears continued to stream down his face.

At last, Carlisle showed up. Bella sighed when she heard he was there. She was confident that he could help her friend. He got straight to work and Bella noted that he could barely look at her. She didn't want to interfere with his work, so she stayed back out of the way.

"Sam, I need to rebreak the bones to set them. I'll need help holding him down. Bella, you need to leave the room," he told them, matter-of-factly. Bella left, brushing her hand one last time over Jacob's face.

Everyone remained out in the yard as Carlisle set to work. They could all hear Jacob's violent screaming. Some of them paced the yard, hands clenching and unclenching. While Leah sat staring into the forest, not speaking or moving. Jared and Brady rehashed some events from the fight, amazed at the fighting abilities of Jasper and Emmett. They chuckled now and then as they talked about some awesome feat. Bella stood leaning over the railing. Now that she was no longer focused on Jacob, she began to worry about the Cullens. Were they okay? Why didn't Edward come with Carlisle? He knew she was here and he was almost as skilled as Carlisle in medicine. Carlisle could have used his help.

After what seemed like days, Carlisle and Sam emerged from the house. Sam was covered in sweat and looked exhausted. Everyone gathered near the door so they could hear Carlisle's report. Bella felt safe surrounded by the pack members. They were all touching in some way. Whether their shoulders were touching, or the edges of their feet. Embry stood behind Bella with his hands on her shoulders.

"He'll be alright. I had to reset the broken bones because his healing had already begun. The pain killers aren't really working well for him. I've given him a lot. Enough to be fatal for most humans. He needs to rest, but he will heal. He should not phase until all of the aches and pains are gone. I don't know how long that will be," Carlisle looked around at them. "My family thanks you for your tremendous help today. It has been a hard day for everyone. I've left medical supplies for Jacob and for Sue, in case she ever needs them again."

"Sam, Billy, could I speak to you both in private?" Carlisle asked.

Sam nodded and started to wheel Billy's wheelchair down the ramp. They walked down the road until they were out of sight. A pin drop could be heard and none of the wolves moved, straining their ears to hear the conversation between the trio.

They were gone for close to half an hour before Sam and Billy returned to the house. Billy stared ahead, his eyes unseeing as Sam pushed him. Sam's expression was the typical alpha mask that Bella loathed. She wondered what they had to talk about that no one else could hear, and why didn't Carlisle come back with him? She needed to see Edward.

"Bill? What's going on?" Charlie asked his friend. There was so much happening he didn't understand. How did Jake get hurt? Why did they think he got bit by an animal? Why didn't Carlisle take him to the hospital? And for God's sakes, why didn't Carlisle use better pain killers so Jake wasn't in so much pain?

Billy looked up at Charlie and then at Bella. The unshed tears swelling in his eyes. His breath caught in his chest. "I…we…we need to talk to you guys."

"What happened?" Bella pushed to the front of the group. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Something bad had happened. She could tell.

"Bella, it's time to tell your dad everything. It's the only way I can explain what Carlisle told me," Billy spoke gently to Bella. His hand held hers as his eyes bored into hers. She knew that whatever he told her was going to change her life.

"Okay," she agreed.

 **What do you think? More?**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rated M

Charlie was so pissed, he couldn't speak. He sat on the step on the back porch of the Black's house. He wanted to leave. He _really_ wanted to leave, but there was no way he could get behind the wheel of a car in his mental state. At least, he had enough wits about him to know that.

Vampires. Werewolves. No, shape shifters, they'd said. Ultimately, it was secret after secret. Lie after lie. Not just his daughter, everyone around him pretty much. The trail of betrayal was long.

Sitting next to Charlie was Bella. She sat, staring out into the forest. She hadn't spoken since Billy started talking. First, she listened closely. Following the legends so that Charlie was up to speed with everyone else. Then, as Billy explained what Carlisle had told them on the walk, she began to shut down. Her heart shattered and her brain stopped all but autonomic functions.

Billy and Embry sat in the kitchen, staring out the screen door at them. Making sure that when either of them snapped out of it, someone was there. It had been 6 hours that they sat unmoving.

"Should I try to move her?" Embry asked.

"Not yet. Let's wait and see," Billy said, unsure of what to do. He rolled to Jacob's room and noticed that Jake was awake, staring at the ceiling.

"Is it true?" Jake whispered.

"I believe him. Yes," Billy answered.

"How is she?"

"She hasn't moved from the back porch for 6 hours."

Jake groaned and tried to get up from the bed.

"Jacob! No! You mustn't get up! Stay, please."

"Dad, I need to see her. If you don't want me to get up, then you'd better figure out how to get her in here."

"I'll try," Billy whispered as he left the room. "You stay in bed."

"Bella, honey, Jacob is awake. He's asking for you. Do you want to go in and see him?" Billy asked from the back door. Bella remained unmoving.

Embry sighed in frustration. Then he went and picked her up. He was waiting for her to flail and scream at him. What terrified him more was that her body was limp. She didn't fight him at all. It was hard to pick up a floppy dead weight, even for a shape shifter. But he managed.

When he entered Jake's room, Jake gasped. She looked dead. If he couldn't hear her heartbeat and respirations, he would swear she was.

"Bells? Honey, you want to sit with me?" he asked gently.

There was no response. Embry helped the two get situated, first setting Bella down and then helping Jacob get scooched over before putting Bella on the bed next to him. Bella laid with her eyes on the ceiling. She didn't move at all.

Embry left and Jacob tried talking to Bella. She didn't answer him. He wasn't sure if she could hear him. He decided to talk to her anyway. Gently, he picked up her hand that laid between them and threaded his fingers with hers. Her skin was freezing and she didn't squeeze back. He held their connected hands on his stomach and brushed the fingers of his free hand over hers. Tracing down each finger and over the knuckle before moving on to the next one.

"I'm really sorry, Bells. I don't know what to say to make you feel better. I don't think I can say anything. But I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you," he told her.

Eventually, he dozed off. While his arms relaxed in sleep, their hands stayed connected.

"No! Edward! No! Come back! Come back! I didn't get to say good-bye. I didn't say good-bye!" Bella woke Jake with her shrill crying. He couldn't get up or turn himself over, but he could grab her and pull her close. She laid half on his chest sobbing.

"It's okay, Bells. It's okay."

"He's dead, Jake. I didn't even get to say good-bye! He knew he was going to die and he made me leave," she cried.

"He protected you, Bella. That night before the newborn battle. He said all that he wanted was for you to be happy. That was his priority over everything. Dying at the hands of the Volturi or being changed against your will wouldn't have made either of you happy," Jake spoke, trying to assure her.

"He didn't give me a choice. He decided for me. How did he know I didn't want to be changed?"

"It sounds like there wasn't time. I don't know if he would have given you a choice or not. But Sam said that there was a vision from Alice and then Carlisle and Edward were pushing for you to leave. It doesn't sound like there was a choice other than to save you."

"Why did they all leave? They left me again," Bella whimpered, falling back into a fitful sleep. Jake put up with the pain of her laying with him. He wouldn't want her to be anywhere else right now.

Jake struggled with his feelings of Edward's death. One part of him, admittedly a big part of him, was relieved to have the bloodsucker out of the picture. Yet, they'd made a tentative peace that night in the tent. Jacob understood the other man better and he knew that the one thing they had in common was that they both wanted Bella to be happy for the rest of her life. Jacob was surprised to learn that Edward hadn't wanted Bella to change. He was sure that was what made Edward push Bella to leave with the wolves at the last minute. In the end, he decided that he was sad for Bella. That she would have to deal with the grief of losing Edward and his family, as they vowed to stay out of her life to protect her.

It was going to be a rough time all around. He was not looking forward to the next few months. It was different before when Edward left because there was always the hope that he would return-which he did. Now they all knew he wasn't coming back, he couldn't come back.

Over the next few months, it was déjà vu for Jacob and Charlie. Bella turned into the shell of herself. Though this time, Charlie knew why and he refused to leave the Black's house. He would not allow Bella to be left alone. They worked out an uncomfortable arrangement. Charlie slept on the couch and Bella slept in the twins' old bedroom. But on the nights she woke up screaming, instead of Charlie rushing in, it would be Jacob. Sometimes, Charlie would watch from the doorway as he calmed her. Other times, he would lay on the couch and pray that his daughter would find a way to cope.

Slowly, Jacob brought Bella back to life again. In the beginning, it was small steps. Together they took walks on the beach. They would go at night because Bella did not want to accidentally run into anyone and hear their apologies for Edward's sudden death. When Jacob would work in the garage, Bella would sit on the couch reading or staring out the window.

If it weren't for Jake, Bella probably would have starved herself. He made her protein smoothies in the beginning and would coax every swallow down her throat. One day, Bella refused the smoothie, saying they were gross. Jacob furious made her a chocolate milk shake instead. When he brought it back, she tried to refuse it. He told her that if she was going to starve herself, then she could do it somewhere else. He was not going to watch her slowly die. At first she took two small sips and left the glass on the table, but it was good and her stomach won out. She finished the entire thing.

Much to the relief of everyone around them, this seemed to be the turning point for Bella. Every now and then, Jacob would tease and ask Bella if she'd like a smoothie. She'd smile, shake her head no, and take out the chocolate ice cream and the blender.

When they realized they weren't going to go back to the Forks house, they started working on expanding Jake and Billy's little red house. Bella would sit on a bench Jake had made for her and watch every day as different members of the pack came to help on the project. She even began making lunches for them to keep busy. College was not an option at that point for her.

As the house neared finishing, so did the first anniversary of Edward's death. Jake was unsure of how to proceed with Bella and Charlie had even talked to him about keeping things low-key.

A solution came to Jacob and he talked about it with the pack. They agreed that Jacob had come up with a good plan. They helped him to set things in motion. While Jake took Bella out for the surprise, they would stay in the shadows to guard them. It was the first time Bella would be leaving Quileute territory since that fateful day.

"Hey, Bella, I have a surprise for you today," Jake told her while she laid in bed. He laid next to her. She'd had a bad night and he'd been there most of the night.

"I don't want to go anywhere today," she said, her voice laced with sadness.

"Can you do this for me? One thing. It'll just be the two of us."

"I guess but I don't want to be out long, and I'm not getting dressed up."

"Okay, honey."

An hour later, Jacob laid his body flat on the ground. Bella slid down and walked around to the wolf's snout. It was the first time she had ridden the wolf and it had been quite a long time since she had seen him phased. Her hands caressed softly over his fur. Then she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his.

"Why'd you bring me here, Jake?" she whimpered.

He nudged her so that she would back up and he could phase back. He knew that the wolves were surrounding them but were hidden in the trees. He figured Bella would want to grieve in private but her safety was paramount. Once she was back far enough, he shifted back and pulled on his shorts.

"Come on," he told her, grabbing her hand. "I have something I want you to see."

Jacob walked her over to the headstone they'd gotten for Edward. It didn't have his name on it. The stone was flat and flush with the ground. Anyone that didn't know it was there would have a hard time finding it. It simply said:

 **Gone, but never forgotten.**

 **You'll live in my heart forever.**

The moment Bella read the words, she burst into full-on sobs. She knelt down on the ground and her hands grasped handfuls of grass and dirt. Jacob stepped back and gave her room.

"No! It's not fair. It's not fair. There were things I wanted to tell you. Did you already know? Is that why you did this? You didn't give me a chance to explain. I wanted to explain that I loved you, that I would always love you. What if I had decided to be changed and not stay human? You didn't give me the chance to explain!"

Once her crying began to slow, Jacob walked up behind her and brushed his hand down her back. Her face was against the headstone.

"I'm sorry to have upset you, Bells. I thought you'd want to have a memorial place for him."

Bella sat up and took in a deep breath. She looked around the clearing and thought about all of the horror that occurred in that spot.

"Thank you, Jake. This really means a lot to me. But, I hope you understand, I don't ever want to come back here again. Let's go." Standing, Bella walked back to the cover of the trees and waited for Jake to phase. Her face was still streaked with tear tracks. Jacob stood in front of her and gently cupped her face. His thumbs dried her tears and he pulled her into his chest for a hug.

"Do you want me to move the stone?" he asked, quietly.

"No, Jake. It should stay here. This was where he died."

They went back to the house, but instead of phasing, Jake picked Bella up and carried her. She kept her arms wrapped tightly around him. After he put her down in the house, she went to her room and closed the door without a sound.

Charlie asked to speak with Bella after dinner. Timidly, she followed him out onto the porch. He handed her an envelope with perfect cursive on the outside. Carefully, Bella slid her finger under the flap and opened it. It was a letter from Alice.

 _Dearest Bella,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. I haven't been able to see your future since before the newborn battle began. But I have a feeling you know that. It has taken us all awhile to deal with the shock of Edward's punishment. We don't take to change very well._

 _Anyway, as the first year has arrived, I've been thinking back on that day. I want you to know that Edward was not aware that you had changed your mind. Something happened on the mountain that made your future disappear. However, Edward wasn't close enough to see what I did. He did not see that your beautiful vampire transformation vanished and the wedding plans were gone._

 _Once Jane had decided to come visit, he thought that meant you were in danger. That is why he insisted you go. He was sure that you would not walk away from the meeting. Of course, when Jane showed up, I saw what she had decided. I tried to stop her, but she used her powers against me. I couldn't break free from her._

 _I know that Edward wanted you to be happy more than anything in his life. So please, let him go. Move on with your life, and please be happy._

 _Love always,_

 _Alice_

Bella sat on the porch with more tears streaming down her face. She didn't think it was possible to have enough water to make so many tears. With a deep sigh, she folded the letter and put it back in the thick envelope. Going back in the house, she walked to the kitchen. She set the envelope on the table and took the ice cream, milk and blender out. Jake stepped up behind her and grabbed two of their favorite shake mugs. He set them on the counter and sat at the table waiting for her. In a well-practiced routine, she scooped, poured, and blended. Then she poured the shakes and grabbed two straws from the box and put them in the cups before bringing them to the table. Jake had the whipped cream ready and he squirted on top of both shakes, adding a cherry only to his.

"There's something I need to tell you about that morning on the mountain, Jake."

 **I would love it if you followed or favorited...thanks, TJ**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Rated M

 **Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I don't own it and while I'm a tremendous Jacob fan, I do love that she wrote it. I'm not sure she would have inspired such passion for a character otherwise!**

Bella and Jacob sat together at the table. Jacob's milkshake was gone and Bella had taken a sip or two of hers. She'd come to terms with the fact that she had to tell Jacob everything. He had a right to know and Alice was right—Edward was gone. He had wanted her to remain happy and human.

"I, uh, I don't know how to say this exactly," she began.

Jake swallowed thickly. He instantly regretted finishing that milkshake because he had a feeling he was about to see it again.

"That kiss on the mountain top," she took a deep breath and chanced a look at Jake's face. He watched her warily and she realized she'd better not drag it out. "Well, that kiss was amazing. Life changing, really. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. I felt so guilty that Edward sacrificed his life for mine. It didn't feel like I should move on from him."

Jacob interrupted. "Bella, he wouldn't want you to spend your life pining after him or mourning him."

"I know, Jake," she gave him a teary smile. "I know he wouldn't. What I'm trying to say is that the day of the newborn battle, I had made a decision. I wasn't going to marry Edward. I'd decided to stay human."

Abruptly, Jacob shot up from the table and stepped outside, vomiting the contents of his stomach into the grass beside the house. All this time! An entire year he had spent feeling torn inside about Bella and Edward. The last time he'd seen Edward was after their kiss and he'd been a smug teenager about it, rubbing it in knowing the vamp could read his mind. It was an embarrassing moment to have relive over and over in his mind. Jake kept thinking how one of Edward's last thoughts must have been about him and Bella kissing.

Wiping his mouth, he went back into the kitchen to the sink, rinsing his mouth.

"Sorry, Bella. I know you feel terrible about that day and miss Edward. I've been torn up about how things went that day ever since. It's not that he was a bad guy, but I didn't want you to become one of them. I wasn't thinking the nicest things that day." Jacob kept his body turned away from her, ashamed of what he was admitting.

Bella got up from the table and wrapped her arms around Jacob's chest. Her forehead rested in the curve of his spine. Her fingers opened and closed, gripping and releasing his t-shirt in her grasp.

"Jake, I've spent a year feeling guilty that I wasn't going to choose him. I thought he knew. I thought all this time that the last memory he was going to have of me, was me choosing you," she said softly, the dread washing over her. "Of course, I cared about him. I will always care about the Cullens. They were special to me. It's not something I expect you to understand."

"I'll admit, Bells, I don't really understand your easy acceptance of the vamps. But I respect it and I'm thankful for it because I'm not completely human either," Jake spoke to her before turning his body and wrapping his arms around her. "Do you want to tell me about the letter they sent you?"

"How'd you know?" she asked. He simply sniffed.

"Oh, of course. I don't know. It was from Alice. She says that Edward didn't know I'd changed my mind, but he would've wanted me to be happy."

"Are you happy?" Jake asked.

"I feel like I could be one day," she admitted truthfully.

"That's good, Bella," he answered, leaning down and resting his cheek on her head.

"It's that I wanted to end things on my own terms, you know? Now I'll have to live the rest of my life knowing I never got to say good-bye to him," she continued.

"Unfortunately, Bells, that's the way it goes sometimes. I never got to say good-bye to my mom either. I would give a lot to have 5 more minutes with her to tell her all the things I never got to tell her."

"I know you're right. I do. I guess there were so many unresolved things in my life at that time."

"Tell me what you pictured happening after it was all said and done," he prompted her.

She sighed. "I don't know exactly, but one way I saw it going was me explaining it to Edward. That I loved him so much, but in spite of that love there was more that I would need from life. I needed my family and friends. I couldn't leave Charlie and Renee behind. You, the pack, or your dad. I knew that he would understand. I thought I could keep in touch with them by email or phone at least. I wanted to have them in my life somehow. But I would go to college and have children one day."

"That would have been good, Bella. I can see that having made you happy. Plans change though. Even if Edward had lived, it may not have gone that way. What if he couldn't accept your rejection? What if you'd have married him anyway or the Volturi forced you to be changed?"

Silent tears trailed down Bella's face. Tears of sorrow and tears of guilt. She had to let it go. It was time to move forward.

"I think it's time for me and Charlie to go home," she said.

Jake didn't move. He was scared. The last thing he wanted was for her to leave. He'd gotten used to being with her every night. What would he do without her? Instead of trying to stop her, he didn't say anything. He would find a way to convince her to stay.

Grabbing her hands from behind his back, Jake held them in between them.

"I love you, Bella. More than I can say, more than I have ever said because I didn't want to scare you away when you needed someone. I will always be here for you."

"I love you, Jacob." Bella placed two kisses over Jacob's heart and walked to her room. She began folding clothes and piling them on top of the dresser she'd been using. Again, she felt sad. Why did she say they needed to leave? She didn't want to leave Jake's house. Who would hold her at night when she woke from nightmares of Edward's death or of Jane coming and killing her in the night? Why didn't he object? Was he ready for her to leave?

Standing in the doorway, Jake silently watched Bella begin to pack her things. He had to stop this. Without telling her, he left the house to talk to Charlie. He wasn't sure where he'd gone off to after dinner, but often the men of the house could be found with Sue Clearwater. So he decided to try their house first.

Before he reached the door, he could hear the voices of the three adults talking. Of course, they were talking about Bella and how she hadn't really seemed to move on from her grief. Jacob let himself in the front door. They all turned to look at him.

"Bella said she wants to go home, Charlie. But, you guys can't. Please, please don't leave. I don't know what I would do without Bella now," Jacob begged, not at all caring if he looked like a kid. His eyes traveled between the three adults imploring them to make sure Bella stayed.

"I've got to admit, a year of sleeping on that couch has been rough, Jake," Charlie said.

"I'll bring your mattress down and put it in my room. I'll take the couch. Or we can put bunk beds in Bella's room."

"Oh, I don't think so," Charlie huffed.

"Come on, Charlie!" Billy scoffed. "You know he's spent almost every night of the last year in that room with her and nothing has happened."

"Yet," Charlie bit.

"Charlie, it's not like that between us," Jake replied.

"Yet," Charlie hissed again.

"What makes you so sure?" Jacob asked, getting a bit huffy.

"I can see how close you two are. It's only natural that it would progress into more."

"You and Sue are close friends. You and my dad are close friends. Does that mean one of those relationships would develop into something more?" Jacob asked.

The adults started talking at the same time, disagreeing with Jake's statements.

Billy finally won out over them. "Jake, you know that what you and Bella have is special. The 3 of us are close friends, but we're not like the two of you. If Charlie walked around with his arm around Sue or holding her hand all of the time, she'd sock him one in the gut." Sue nodded in agreement.

"Dad, do you think it's best for her if they leave?" Jacob asked.

"Maybe she needs to be able to survive on her own and not have to lean on you for support," Billy suggested.

Jacob sank down into a chair, his arms crossed on the table and his forehead resting at the edge of the table. He concentrated on controlling his breathing. Part of him knew that what Billy said was right, Bella did need to grow up and be a normal teenager. Yet, the supernatural part of him was louder and knew that there was no longer a "normal" life for them. That ship had sailed long ago.

"Do you think she would be doing this well if it were just her and Charlie at home? Whenever Charlie went to work, she would have been home alone. There wouldn't have been anyone around to make sure she ate, that she got showered, that she got out of bed or did anything. **I did that. I took care of her.** I'm asking you not to leave. Maybe one day, but not yet. She's not ready to be on her own yet. She'll be the catatonic mess she was a year ago when he died and they left!"

Growling in frustration, Jacob stood up and left the house. He rushed to the forest and stripped his clothes off, phasing as soon as they were strapped to his leg. The wolf started running as soon as it was free. Racing through the trees, pushing back the feelings of hurt and rejection, along with guilt that he couldn't do more to help her. Feeling the way he was, Jacob ran around for a long while. Usually he ran the perimeter of Quileute territory, but this time, he skimmed the yards of his people.

Jacob thought he knew every house on the reservation but he was surprised to find a house he didn't remember, for sale. He looked around and realized it was empty. So he phased back and walked up to the house. Peering in the windows, he was curious about this house he didn't remember. It was somewhat hidden in the woods, back off a dirt path. The house was vacant and all of the blinds were open so that people could see inside. Once Jake had circled the house on the covered porch, he came around to a little plastic mailbox filled with fliers. He took one out and read it. He hoped he had a solution to things after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rated M

 **I forgot all about this one. I reread it today thinking I'd finished it but realized I'd just left it. I love it though.**

 **The one thing I like about writing Twilight FF is taking a point from the original story and changing one thing. Changing one little thing can make a big difference. Hope you're enjoying this one. TJ**

"Jake, maybe you need this time apart," Billy told his son reluctantly.

"We don't need time apart. She's only gotten better recently. She doesn't work, she spends almost every hour with me," Jake pleaded with his father.

"I know and maybe that's the problem," Billy answered.

Jake stalked off. He was frustrated. Why didn't anyone understand? She needed him, and he needed her. Like the air he breathed.

"Keep your dirty fingers out of the food, Jake," she said as she madly stirred it, trying to mix up the imagined germs he added to it.

"You know I can't resist your sauce. It smells delicious and tastes even better."

"Where you've been?" She asked him, trying to sound casual.

"Looking into some things," he answered, not ready to reveal his whereabouts.

"Jake, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't handle it well."

"Bells," he said, as he turned her around. "Look at me. Please?"

She glanced up at him, her eyes searching his.

"Don't go. Please, stay here. We can make it work somehow. Charlie's already been sleeping on the couch for a year. Let's find a way to make it work. I can't stand the thought of being away from you."

"Jake, I've been unfair to you. Being here in your house monopolizing every minute of your day."

"You aren't monopolizing my time. I've done everything I needed to do. I've just had you by my side while I'm doing it, and I like it that way."

Bella continued to stir her sauce, chewing her bottom lip, and contemplating Jake's words.

"So does that mean you'll stay?" He pushed.

"Yes, we'll stay. If I left, I'd feel bad about all of these renovations you guys have been doing to the house to make room for me and Charlie."

Jake grabbed her from behind and gave her a tight squeeze, kissing the side of her head.

"Put me down!" She squealed.

Later at dinner, Charlie chewed thoughtfully as he stared at Jake and Bella. It was difficult to imagine leaving the house after all this time. He'd come to enjoy the company of his best friend and son. He noted that Jake looked relaxed and Bella leaned toward him when she talked.

Charlie sat up straighter and squinted his eyes at Jake. He'd finished his dinner and had one arm across the back of Bella's chair, his fingers grazing up the side of her arm, while he talked. Bella didn't flinch away like she used to do. In fact, it seemed like she was leaning a little bit into Jake. Neither of the kids noticed the look on Charlie's face as they were lost in their own private world.

"So, Jake, when is that addition going to be finished? You and the guys have been working on it for some time now," Charlie asked.

"It's almost done. We can bring down whatever furniture you want from your house next week," Jake responded as he picked at food on Bella's plate and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Good, good. It'll be nice for me and Bella to have our own part of the house. You can sleep in your own room now," Charlie stated, sounding disgruntled.

"Dad! What has gotten into you tonight?" Bella asked, shocked. She stood up, gathering dirty dishes and carrying them to the sink.

"Nothing," he spat and left the kitchen.

"What was that about?" Jake whispered to Bella as he brought the rest of the dirty dishes over.

"Who knows? Charlie was shooting laser beams out of his eyes at you."

"Yeah, it was kind of funny. Was it too much to start playing with your hair?" He grinned.

Bella chuckled and finished rinsing the dishes to load them in the dishwasher. She was amused by Jake and her father. It was nice to feel so carefree with everyone around her. The letter from Alice floated around in her mind. She finally began to feel like she could move on with her life. If she was going to remain living with the Black's, then she either needed to get a job or take some college classes online. Jake had gone out to patrol that night and Bella went into her room, while Charlie and Billy watched some sports show.

Carefully, she folded the letter and put it into a memory box she'd had forever. She kept her favorite treasures from various places in the box. In the box was the ring that Edward had given her. She'd had it in her pocket during the newborn battle and she'd always keep it to remember Edward by. The diamonds glinted in the light, so she pulled it out of the box and looked closely at it. It was a beautiful ring, though a little large for her hands. When Edward had first proposed, she'd been caught off guard. Many times they'd talked about marriage, and Bella had always responded that she wasn't really marriage material. But she couldn't deny him that night when he presented her with the ring. His face was joyful when she accepted, although a tiny part of her sent a jolt of regret through her body. Bella sighed and dropped the ring back into the black velvet box. Next to it was the diamond charm Edward had slipped onto Jake's bracelet. Slowly, she closed the lid. She held it to her forehead and remembered the first day she'd seen the Cullens at school.

"Good-bye, Edward," she whispered, placing a light kiss on the box. She put it back in the memory box, and slid the memory box back under the twin-size bed.

Bella glanced at the clock and saw it was only 8:30. She decided to grab a book and sit out on the couch with her dad and Billy.

"Hey, Bells. Whatchya doing?" Charlie asked her, as he put his arm around her.

"I just figured I'd read out here tonight." She hugged her dad and then turned to lay on the end of the couch. Charlie grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch and covered her feet, resting his forearm over her legs.

"Sounds good," Charlie murmured as his eyes focused back on the television.

 **Thanks for finishing this little short story. There may one day be an epilogue, but I tend to be one of those "imagine your own happy ending," story kind of people.**


End file.
